History UsefulNotes / ElectricVehicles

All batteries work by storing chemical potential energy in a cathode, which is separated from an anode by an electrolyte. When a circuit is made, electrons flow from the cathode to the anode, and when the battery is recharged they flow back to the cathode. There are many possible ways to achieve this, and so there are many different combinations of chemistries that may be employed.

* ''VideoGame/WatchDogs2'' allows the player to drive in off-brand electric vehicles.

* ''Vidoegame/GrandTheftAutoV'' features Coil Voltic as one of the cars, based on the first generation Tesla Roadster. Compared to the other cars' engine sounds, it has almost the same sound as a vacuum cleaner.

* ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsHitAndRun'' includes the Elec-Taurus electric car (as seen in in the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E1BeyondBlunderdome Beyond Blunderdome]]") as one of the avainable vehicles.

:: There are global efforts to ensure that the cobalt used in batteries is not produced by unethical labor, and the adoption of alternative chemistries (such as LFP) largely eliminates this concern. Also, cobalt is used to refine gasoline. You're not escaping responsibility by driving a gas car.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2HX5wsQVEA a bit]] about an electric car that makes fun of corporate-sponsored Ride/WaltDisneyWorld rides (in the form of a ride sponsored by the gasoline industry portraying an electric car as undesirable).

Outside of a few small applications, like milk floats and the Lunar Rover, electric vehicles remained on the fringes of the automotive industry until the 1990s. In 1987, after a successful solar race in Australia, General Motors developed a renewed interest in electric cars and in 1990 released the Impact Concept car, which General Motors claimed it intended to mass produce the car. As a result, the state of California issued a mandate for major automakers to adopt them in a bid to improve air quality. General Motors produced the [=EV1=] in response, leasing 800 of them to customers. Other automakers also had a handful of [=EVs=], but the era was short-lived when a combination of court challenges and media campaigns from oil companies caused California to pull back its regulations to allow hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles, like hydrogen. Most of the [=EVs=] built at the time were subsequently recalled and scrapped.[[note]]To say this was controversial it putting it mildly. While many environmental activists accused General Motors and other companies of stifling innovation on behalf of the oil industry, while General Motors insisted it wasn't profitable to make the car. However, by the late 2000s, as the auto industry faced a recession and a spike in gas prices, General Motors would regret not having invested more into electric cars.[[/note]]

Outside of a few small applications, like milk floats and the Lunar Rover, electric vehicles remained on the fringes of the automotive industry until the 1990s. In 1987, after a successful solar race in Australia, General Motors developed a renewed interest in electric cars and in 1990 released the Impact Concept car, which General Motors claimed it intended to mass produce the car. As a result, the state of California issued a mandate for major automakers to adopt them in a bid to improve air quality. General Motors produced the [=EV1=] in response, leasing 800 of them to customers. Other automakers also had a handful of [=EVs=], but the era was short-lived when a combination of court challenges and media campaigns from oil companies caused California to pull back its regulations to allow hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles, like hydrogen. Most of the [=EVs=] built at the time were subsequently recalled and scrapped.[note]To say this was controversial it putting it mildly. While many environmental activists accused General Motors and other companies of stifling innovation on behalf of the oil industry, while General Motors insisted it wasn't profitable to make the car. However, by the late 2000s, as the auto industry faced a recession and a spike in gas prices, General Motors would regret not having invested more into electric cars.[/note]

The EV would not return until the 1990s, when the state of California issued a mandate for major automakers to adopt them in a bid to improve air quality. General Motors produced the [=EV1=] in response, leasing 800 of them to customers. Other automakers also produced a handful of [=EVs=], but the era was short-lived when a combination of court challenges and media campaigns from oil companies caused California to pull back its regulations to allow hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles, like hydrogen. Most of the [=EVs=] built at the time were subsequently recalled and scrapped.

* Battery-electric (BEV): A battery-electric vehicle depends entirely on rechargeable batteries and has no additional power source.

"Hybrid" vehicles use some combination of batteries and internal combustion. In basic hybrids, the internal combustion engine charges the battery, which in turn powers the motors. In plug-in hybrids, the battery is charged from the power grid and can run the vehicle over short ranges, while the internal combustion engine takes over once the battery is discharged.

Another major competing technology is hydrogen fuel cells, which store gaseous hydrogen in tanks and run it over a catalyst to cause it to combine with oxygen and generate energy. This energy then powers an electric motor. Hydrogen is expensive to produce and store and is much less efficient than batteries; thus the technology has so far failed to make substantial inroads into the market.

** Conventional hybrid (HEV): This system uses the gasoline engine as a generator to charge the battery while the battery drives the motor.

However, electric aircraft have substantial promise in addressing short-haul commuter transportation, especially when roadways are inadequate or congested. In the 2020s, many companies are developing electric VTOL ([=eVTOL=]) aircraft, and there are even efforts, spurred by increasing energy density and reduced cost, to build large-scale commercial electric aircraft.

The reintroduction of electric vehicles began in earnest in 2008 when Tesla Motors introduced the Roadster, a compact EV based on the Lotus Elise chassis. Only a few thousand were sold but their popularity allowed Tesla to build the Model S and Model X as luxury vehicles, which led in turn to the mass-market Model 3 and Model Y. In response, major automakers began announcing EV plans and a rush of startups began following in Tesla's footsteps.

An EV battery "explosion" is very rare, but battery fires can grow quickly and are very difficult to control (see below).

* ''Toys/HotWheelsID'' features multiple [=EVs=] as part of its collectibles and mobile games.

The weight of the battery pack and its placement give an electric vehicle an extremely low center of gravity, which contributes to handling and greatly improves resistance to rolling over in a crash. Because there is no engine, the entire front of the vehicle is a crumple zone and thus a serious frontal crash is much less likely to result in injury to occupants. The rigidity of the battery pack further resists intrusion into the cabin in side collisions.

:: This is less true today than it used to be, with most [=EVs=] sold in the market achieving at least 250 miles (400 kilometers) on a single charge. Public charging infrastructure is expanding rapidly around the world, and [=EVs=] enjoy one advantage that gasoline cars will never have -- you can charge them at home, starting each day with a full "tank".

:: While [=EVs=] are, overall, simpler than gasoline cars, with fewer moving parts, the battery is the most expensive part, and this does cause them to have a higher sticker price than an "equivalent" ICE car. However, the sticker price is paid back over time by lower maintenance and "fuel" costs.

The most popular lithium-ion battery chemistries today are nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) and lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP). NCM batteries have higher energy density and can deliver more power, making them suitable for high-performance applications. However, they are more expensive and more prone to degradation. LFP batteries use cheaper materials and have greater stability, but are less energy-dense.

:: So does gasoline. Statistics show that the rate of fires among battery-electric vehicles is around ten times lower than among internal combustion vehicles. However, it is true that a battery fire is hotter and can be more difficult to extinguish.

* ''VideoGame/HillClimbRacing'' features an electric car as one of the available vehicles. It needs batteries to regain energy unlike the majority of vehicles which runs on fuel, and if you hold the gas pedal for too long, it overvolts and shuts the engine down for a few seconds.

The most popular lithium-ion battery chemistries today are nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) and lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP). NCM batteries have a higher energy density and can deliver more power, making them suitable for high-performance applications. However, they are more expensive and more prone to degradation. LFP batteries use cheaper materials and have greater stability, but are less energy-dense.

In the early 2020s, many nations and regions within nations announced that sales of new internal combustion engine vehicles would eventually be prohibited, with target dates ranging from 2030 to 2040.

:: There are global efforts to ensure that the cobalt used in batteries is not produced by unethical labor, and the adoption of alternative chemistries (such as LFP) largely eliminates this concern. However, in 2022, the world supply of nickel was threatened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Also, cobalt is used to refine gasoline. You're not escaping responsibility by driving a gas car.